Chocolate chip cake is a soft, moist and fluffy vanilla cake layered with sweet chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar. This chocolate chip cake recipe is super easy to make in one bowl and is the perfect simple but decadent cake for any occasion.
Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a delicious and simple cake that comes together quickly and delivers big on flavor. My Buttermilk Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Ganache Cake and Blueberry Coffee Cake are just a few I love from the blog. I know you’ll love this chocolate chip cake recipe as much as I do.
- Layers of flavors and textures. From the soft, fluffy and moist vanilla cake to the pockets of melty chocolate chips and sweetly spicy cinnamon sugar, this simple cake with chocolate chips will have you going back for seconds.
- Easy to make, bake and eat. This chocolate chip layer cake tastes like you just bought it from a bakery, but simple to make and comes together quickly. Simply make the vanilla cake in one bowl, layer the cake with cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips, bake and enjoy.
Ingredients
This fluffy vanilla chocolate chip cake requires a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract sour cream, milk, cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips.
Substitutions
This easy chocolate chips cake uses ingredients that are simple and basic, but you may need to make a substitution here and there. Here are my recommended substitutions to make this cake if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this chocolate chip snack cake gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
- Baking Powder: This is a leavener for this cake.
- Salt: Like with savory foods, adding a little salt to anything enhances the flavors in the dish. Make sure to add the salt.
- Melted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt. Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter.
- Granulated Sugar: This vanilla cake with chocolate chips calls for granulated sugar, but maple sugar would also work well to make the cake refined sugar free.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Sour Cream: A thick and creamy greek yogurt works or buttermilk can also work.
- Milk: Feel free to use your preferred milk.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cinnamon Sugar: This is easy to make at home. Simply mix sugar and ground cinnamon together. If you prefer, use a different ground spice, but cinnamon pairs wonderfully with chocolate.
- Chocolate Chips: I love using regular semi sweet chocolate chips. Feel free to use mini chocolate chips, dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips.
Variations
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake: Generously grease a 10 -12 cup capacity bundt pan. Prepare the cake according to the recipe directions. Transfer ⅓ of the cake batter into the bundt pan and top with ½ of the cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. Repeat with the next ⅓ of the coffee cake and the remaining ½ of cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. Top with the last of the cake batter. Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 45 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then inverted onto a serving plate to cool to room temperature.
- 9 - inch springform pan: Prepare the recipe as written, but rather than use a 9 inch square pan, use a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- 9x13 pan: Make this chocolate chip cake in a larger pan by increasing the ingredients by ½.
- Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake: Prepare the recipe according to the recipe directions. Divide the cake batter, cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips into (2) 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Layer the cake, cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips according to the recipe directions. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
How To Make
Learn how to make chocolate chip cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and two sides of a 9 x 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted and slightly cooled butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Alternating dry ingredients and milk, mix in ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the wet, followed by ½ of the milk. Repeat until all the ingredients are just combined. In a separate bowl whisk the sugar and ground sugar together until well combined.
- Evenly spread half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Top the first layer of cake with ½ of the cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. Repeat with a second layer of cake and finish with the remaining cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. Bake the vanilla and chocolate chip cake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the chocolate chip sour cream cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
4. Cool the pan in the pan for 15 - 20 minutes. Gently lift the chocolate chip cookie cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. Transfer to a serving plate or serve right from the pan.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Place the slices of the chocolate chip vanilla cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Then the cake should be transferred to the fridge for up to another 2 - 3 days.
- Freeze: Make sure the old fashioned chocolate chip cake is completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the cake is to let it sit out at room temperature for at least two hours or until fully thawed. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave the cake slice for 20 - 30 seconds for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in soft, fluffy, moist and tender cake.
- Use whole milk and full fat sour cream. The more fat, the more tender and flavorful the cake will be.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Use the baking times as a guide. All ovens vary and baking times should be used as a guide. As a general rule, when the cake becomes fragrant, it’s a good idea to start checking. Begin checking on the chocolate chip cinnamon cake at the minimum baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs or clean.
FAQs
How to tell when a cake with chocolate chips is done?
There are a few ways to tell when a cake is done. Look for the golden brown edges of the cake pulling that are pulling away from the sides of the pan. The cake will also be very fragrant. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will also have a few moist crumbs.
Can you use milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet chocolate chips?
Yes, the taste of the cake will be slightly different as milk chocolate has a creamier and sweeter taste. Whereas semi sweet and even dark chocolate are less sweet and have more chocolate flavor.
How long should you leave a cake in the pan to cool?
It’s best to remove any cake from the pan within 10 - 20 minutes after baking. The cake can be too hot and fragile after only 5 minutes of cooling and could possibly stick more easily after 20 minutes.
Other Chocolate Chip Recipes to Try
If you try this Chocolate Chip Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe
Chocolate chip cake is a soft, moist and fluffy vanilla cake layered with sweet chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar. This chocolate chip cake recipe is super easy to make in one bowl and is the perfect simple but decadent cake for any occasion.
Equipment
- 1 9x9 (23cm) pan
- 1 parchment paper
- 2 bowls
- 1 whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) milk, room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar and Chocolate Chip Filling and Topping
- 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and two sides of a 9 x 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted and slightly cooled butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Alternating dry ingredients and milk, mix in ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the wet, followed by ½ of the milk. Repeat until all the ingredients are just combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , ½ cup (118 ml) milk, room temperature
- In a separate bowl whisk the sugar and ground sugar together until well combined. Gather the chocolate chips.3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Evenly spread half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Top the first layer of cake batter with half of the cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. Repeat with a second layer of cake batter and finish with the remaining cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips.1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
- Bake the vanilla and chocolate chip cake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the chocolate chip sour cream cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the pan in the pan for 15 - 20 minutes. Gently lift the chocolate chip cookie cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. Transfer to a serving plate or serve right from the pan.
Notes
Store: Place the slices of the chocolate chip vanilla cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Then the cake should be transferred to the fridge for up to another 2 - 3 days.
See Variations section of the blog post to make this chocolate chip cake recipe in different pans and other pan sizes.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
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